The growth in computer applications that require heavy data traffic and the increasing availability of high-speed transmission lines and intelligent communication switches create a need for computer systems able to manage a huge amount of data at high rates. For example, high-speed communication systems may require processors to be interrupted at rates of 20,000-100,000 interrupts per second in response to hundreds various events.
It would be desirable to create a multi-tiered interrupt system that makes easier for a host processor to detect a particular event causing an interrupt.
Further, to prevent processing bottlenecks created by a processor, the number of interrupts should be reduced. Accordingly, it would be desirable to create an interrupt system that eliminates repeated interrupts caused by the same event to reduce the number of interrupts.